The Golden Centre

Day 1 Danang – Hoi An

Transfer
Visit Cham Museum

The Cham Museum houses probably the best collection of Cham art to be found anywhere in the world. There are more than 300 artefacts in the museum, many dating to the 4th century. There are beautiful sculptures reflecting the 1000 year Cham period.

By vehicle from Danang to Hoi An

Journey south past the Marble Mountains and small villages.

Sightseeing in Hoi An

Hoi An, a picturesque riverside town, was one of South East Asia’s major international ports during the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. This walking tour includes many of the town’s highlights. Visit the Japanese Covered Bridge, constructed in 1593 by the Japanese community to link the town with the Chinese quarters across the stream. Near the bridge is Sa Huynh Museum which houses exhibitions from the earliest period of Hoi An’s history. Wander into the Tran Family Chapel, a 200 year old house built for worshipping ancestors. Visit Phuoc Kien Assembly Hall, a Chinese pagoda built around 1690 and enlarged in 1900. It is typical of the Chinese clans in the Hoi An area and is dedicated to Thien Hau Thanh Mau, the Goddess of the Sea and Protector of Sailors and Fishermen. Also enter into a Lantern Making Workshop to see how the frame is made and the silk cloth put onto the lantern – Overnight in Hoi An

Day 2 Hoi An (Breakfast: Hotel / Lunch: Meals incl. in itinerary (Vietnam) )

Excursion to My Son

Journey to My Son, the former religious centre of the Champa Kingdom, a sophisticated civilization which held sway over the region from the 4th to the 13th centuries. Today, all that is left are five archaeological sites from different periods, in a beautifully green setting of hills and winding streams. After a brief visit to the Visitor’s Centre for an overview of Cham history and culture, visit each ruin in turn, walking along forested paths.

Ride and Rice

This half-day cycling itinerary will immerse you in the culture, history, and commerce of Hoi An on a tour designed for all ages, families and even kids. The scenery is sublimely rural and the experience very Vietnamese. Our ride will begin at your hotel along the small and narrow alleys of the ancient town. Cross the market where you will see from the meal’s ingredients – alive fish, pork, chicken, vegetable, flowers to clothes and household. Vietnamese people still keep the habit of the morning shopping. Next, we pedal past rice fields and vegetable farms along small canals and waterways towards Hoi An’s most beautiful village. Stop at a farmer’s house in village and be warmly welcome by the host with the traditional herb drink. Like the other farmers in the village, our host has a small field where his family do farming twice a year to have the food. And today, he will share and guide you about the rice production with very basic tools. You will firstly wade into the rice paddies, roll up your sleeves, and join the host in tilling the soil and planting the rice seedlings. Next, you will try to thresh the rice seeds from the plant; mill to have the best quality rice. You can use all very basic tools which created hundreds of years ago by our ancestor; using most of the natural sources such as bamboo, wood and stone. After a hard working day, you will learn to make the rice pancake from the wet flour (rice milk). Enjoy the lunch the farm house with some specialties of the area: Tam Huu, Fried Spring Rolls, Banh Xeo, Rice, Fish, Vegetable soup & Season fruits. Then, cycle back to the town. – Overnight in Hoi An

Day 3 Hoi An – Hue (Breakfast: Hotel / Lunch: Meals incl. in itinerary (Vietnam) )

By vehicle from Hoi An to Hue

Drive from Hoi An to Hue along scenic mountain roads with spectacular views over the coastline. Highlights along the way include the dramatic Hai Van Pass, the high dividing line between the climate zones of North and South Vietnam; Lang Co, a lovely stretch of beach curving outwards between a clear blue lagoon and the East Vietnam Sea; and the large coastal city of Danang.

Visit Ngoc Son garden house with lunch or dinner

The house isn’t a simply Ngoc Son Princess’s worship building but the excellent design, one of few well-preserved garden houses in the city. It is full of shady green trees and many antique furniture of the Nguyen Dynasty. This visit is more valuable as it is home of the historian and author Mr. Phan Thuan An
Ngoc Son Princess’s offspring. Mr. Phan has been playing an important role in conservating Hue’s Royal buildings and Hue’s culture. You will recognize that it is a precious museum with a huge number of collection of antique furniture. Enjoy the tea and get away from Hue’s sun in the ever-green garden before the meal with his family. You are now chatting with the last Nguyen dynasty’s mandarin.

Visit the Imperial Citadel by cyclo

Located in the heart of Hue is the Imperial Citadel, a vast complex built in the early 19th century and modelled after the Forbidden City of Peking. The original walls stretched for 10 kilometres and were surrounded by a wide moat. Today, most of the buildings have been destroyed due to bombing during the Vietnam-American War, but the monuments that remain provide a fascinating glimpse into the court life of the Nguyen Dynasty. Approach the city past the striking Flag Tower, where a giant Vietnamese flag waves proudly overhead, to the imposing Ngo Mon Gate, the main entrance to the Imperial Enclosure. Enter into an area of spacious courtyards and serene lotus ponds, and visit Dien Tho Residence (Dien Tho palace) where the Queen mother lived, visit Thai Hoa Palace, the magnificently decorated reception hall, the Halls of the Mandarins, and the original Nine Dynastic Urns, among other sites. Finally visit the Hue Royal Antiquities Museum.

Visit Dong Ba Market

Dong Ba Market is a local market near the Imperial Cit – Overnight in Hue

Day 4 Hue (Breakfast: Hotel )

Excursion to Thien Mu Pagoda and Tomb of Emperor Minh Mang with boat trip

Enjoy a leisurely boat ride down the Perfume River, stopping first at the iconic Thien Mu Pagoda, an elegant seven-tiered octagonal tower which has become Hue’s most widely recognizable monument. Continue cruising into the countryside to the Imperial Tomb of Minh Mang, a majestic complex of courtyards, pavilions and temples in a beautiful natural setting.

Sightseeing in Hue

Hue served as the capital of Vietnam for more than 140 years. It houses ancient temples, imperial buildings and French-style edifices. It was established in the 17th century.

Visit the Imperial Tomb of Emperor Khai Dinh

Khai Dinh was the last monument of the Nguyen dynasty and was constructed between 1920 and 1931. It sits magnificently on the slopes of Chau E Mountain in Chau Chau Village. It has a long staircase flanked by dragons. There are ceiling murals and ceramic frescoes – Overnight in Hue

Day 5 Hue (Breakfast: Hotel )

Transfer